Better Times Than These
by Jen C
Summary: As children, Daria and Quinn battle sharing a room, babysitters, parents and a clown?! As new Lawndale citizens, Jane and Trent deal with leaving their childhood home and encounter a few other familiar characters.


Summary: As children, Daria and Quinn battle sharing a room, babysitters, parents and a clown?! As new Lawndale citizens, Jane and Trent deal with leaving their childhood home and encounter a few other familiar characters.  
  
Author: Jen  
Email:jenc_84@yahoo.com  
Category: Past and Future  
  
  
Better Times Than These  
By Jen  
  
Daria woke up and rolled over in her bed to check the time. 8 a.m. She could hear the noisy chatter of her family downstairs and decided it would be utterly impossible to go back to sleep anyway. She sat up and fumbled for her glasses on the table next to her bed. She'd been wearing glasses for five years, since she was three, which was nearly all her life. She found them in their usual spot, but her mind wandered back to a time when wearing glasses was not so habitual.  
  
When Daria first got her glasses, a lot the children in her pre-school class had laughed and ridiculed her. She began to cry and ran off, ashamed of her tears and weakness. From that day on, she promised herself she'd never let them see her hurt again. So she viewed the world with an iron cold reserve, mistrusting everyone. Even before she got glasses, Daria knew she was different from most kids her age. She found no enjoyment in the idle games of hide-and-go-seek or tag that the other children played. She had been labeled a misfit at a very young age, yet she refused to change. She realized that this was harder road to take in life, but she was up for the challenge.  
  
Daria sighed and got out of bed. It was useless to think about the past, what's done is done. She looked over to the opposite side of the room and noticed her sister Quinn must have already woken up. It figured. Quinn was overly perky and always the first to wake up in the morning. She had absolutely nothing in common with her younger sister and often wondered if they were really related. Her imaginative mind often made up stories of scandal and passion involving her real parents. She imagined them bringing her to India by elephant where she could dip her toes in the hot springs and get lost in the lush vegetation. Realizing these thoughts are much too childish, Daria snapped back to reality and began getting ready for the day. She selected a favorite green T-shirt and pleated black skirt from her bureau. To top it all off, she grabbed her black boots that were a little too big and really annoyed her mother. She ran a brush through her hair and decided she was ready to face her family at breakfast.   
  
Downstairs, Quinn was busily chatting to her parents about her excitement for her upcoming birthday party. Daria rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen, cautiously.  
  
"Good morning sweetie," Helen said in a sickeningly sweet tone.  
  
"Mm, hi," answered Daria. Minimal contact was the best way to go. She reached over for some toast, poured a glass of milk and settled down at the table.  
  
"Like I was saying Mom, we have to have a cute piñata, and pin the tale on the donkey and ooh! Don't forget a clown!" squealed Quinn.  
  
"Sure, sounds good to me. Quinn, you can be the donkey, and we'll all stick tails with pins in your a- "  
  
"Daria," Helen interrupted. "Let's try and be helpful." Daria just smirked and shrugged. Helen turned to Quinn. "Is there anything else you want to have at your party?"  
  
"Oh yeah Mom. We definitely gotta have streamers and balloons and confetti, and the cake has to be vanilla with chocolate frosting 'cause that's the only way I like it, with pink sprinkles and ice cream and....."   
  
Jake suddenly looked up from his newspaper. "Games, decorations, food, where does it end?! This is gonna cost us a fortune Helen!" he complained.  
  
"Uh, anyway, Daria what are your plans for today?" Helen asked, obviously becoming annoyed with both Quinn and Jake's whining.  
  
"Oh you know, I figured I'd roam the streets of Newport, find some trouble, get acquainted with the legal system, who knows." Daria replied in a stunningly serious tone.  
  
"Oh Daria." Helen sighed.  
  
"What, I don't get it." Quinn chirped.  
  
"Well, don't forget your father and I have a couple's therapy meeting tonight, so Jessica is coming over to baby-sit you both," Helen replied.  
  
"No way," said Daria, her eyes glaring. Although her parents drove her insane, Daria knew it'd be a lot worse to have Jessica, the older version of Quinn as a babysitter.  
  
"Oh yes. And I expect you two to be on your best behavior." Helen said sharply. Quinn smiled back sweetly and Daria just scowled. Daria got up from the table, put her dish on the counter and headed to the living room. Quinn did the same, and Helen left as well. Jake peeked out from under his newspaper, making sure the coast was clear. He put the newspaper down and started to eat his breakfast in peace.  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in Lawndale, a city not too far away from Newport, a new family was moving in. The moving van turned down the street and parked into the driveway of a house. Following behind was the Lane family. Jane stepped out of the car and stretched her muscles. It had been a long car ride and her legs were stiff. Trent climbed out from beside her and did the same.  
  
"This is it guys," said a proud Amanda Lane, with husband Vincent beside her. "I know you are both going to love it here."  
  
Jane frowned slightly. She had not been happy about the move. She had spent eight years of her life in the old house, then one day her parents just decided they would uproot the family. Jane didn't have any friends in her old town, so that wasn't a big deal. She didn't know why, but she felt an immense attachment to the house and couldn't stand to leave it. Trent had been mopy too; she knew he felt the same way. After all, he had spent all thirteen of his years at that house too.  
  
"Well, let's start unpacking," Vincent said, trying to sound cheerful. "Trent, can you give me a hand with these boxes?"  
  
Amanda walked over to her daughter and suggested they go look inside the house. Jane just shrugged. "Come on," she encouraged. "You can pick out your room."   
  
Jane looked about the empty house, and chose a medium size room facing the front of the house. As she scanned the desolate room, she began to miss the character her old room had. She had worked diligently painting just the right pictures to form an amazing mural across all four walls. It was inspired by the Dutch artist, M.C. Escher, whom was her absolute favorite. She was very proud of that mural; it represented some of her best work. Her family didn't understand though, and all she had now was a few photographs she had taken before the move.   
  
Trent walked down the hallway, and noticed Jane, staring sadly at the empty walls of her room. He entered the room. "Hey Janie," he said. "You upset about the move?"  
  
"No, I'm fine," Jane replied. It was her customary way to hide her emotions and act as if everything was all right. Trent saw through this though, and he hated to see his kid sister hurting.  
  
"You want to take a walk with me around this town, you know, see what it's got to offer?" Trent suggested.  
  
"Ok, I guess," replied Jane. She saw what Trent was trying to do and knew it probably wouldn't work, but she had to give him some credit. Out of all her brothers and sisters, she was definitely closest to him. Their parents were hardly ever around, and one by one she watched Summer, Wind and Penny runaway or flee the country. In her old town, a lot of kids used to pick on Jane. She was a loner, but she could take care of herself. Still, it was good to know she had a big brother, (scrawny as he was) who would stick up for her. One of her biggest fears was that in a few years Trent would leave her just as everyone else had.  
  
They continued walking down a narrow road until they reached a park. There were a lot of children there, all laughing and playing. Jane wasn't too interested in riding swings or playing on slides, so they intended to keep walking, except they were spotted.  
  
A girl with blonde pigtails approached them. "Hi! Are you new here? My name is Brittany and I'm a youth cheerleader. This is Kevy and he's the star quarterback for the Lawndale Elementary School football league!" Brittany replied in an overly excited voice that pierced Jane's ears and made Trent cringe.  
  
"Yeah, Lawndale Lions kick butt!" Kevin yelled.  
  
"Do you want to come play with us?" asked Brittany.  
  
"Sure," said Jane. "Then I'll walk over hot coals, dress a leprechaun and dance a little jig." Trent smirked. Now that was the sister he knew.  
  
"Huh?" Brittany and Kevin just looked at each other with black faces.  
  
"Later," Jane rolled her eyes, and she and Trent continued walking. They would have made it out of the virtually unharmed, except they were spotted again.  
  
"Hi. My name's Jodie Landon. I'm on the welcoming committee of Lawndale." Jodie replied.  
  
"I'm Jane, and this is my brother Trent," Jane answered.  
  
"Sorry Kevin and Brittany were the first people you met here. They're not the brightest." Jodie said  
  
"I'm sorry too," muttered Jane.  
  
"Hey, do you know any place where we can get some good food?" Trent inquired. As small as he was, he could sure eat a lot. Sleeping and eating was what he was best at.  
  
"Sure, there's a pizza place over there," Jodie said pointing. "Just continue down that street, take a right, and you can't miss it."  
  
"Ok, thanks." Trent said.  
  
"See you at school in the fall, Jane." Jodie said waving.  
  
"Mm, yeah." replied Jane unenthusiastically. It was July and the last thing she wanted to think about was going back to school.  
  
"Come on, let's go get a slice Janie." Trent said. Jane nodded and they continued on their way.  
  
  
Back in Newport, Daria was settling down with a book in the comfort of her living room. She had found a stash of old classics up in the attic a while ago, so she had sorted through them and lugged the ones downstairs that looked interesting. They were dusty and old, and had probably been up there for ages. While most children her age were still reading fairy tales, she was selecting novels from titles such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Moby Dick by Melville, and Jane Erye by Charlotte Brontë. Naturally, it took her a while to read these, and there are some things that even a precocious eight year old cannot comprehend about the world, but Daria felt reading was a worthwhile task.  
  
Jake walked into the living room and turned on the t.v. to a loud football game, at which he still felt the need to yell at. Daria looked at him crossly, yet he didn't even seem to notice he had disturbed her. When he finally noticed his young daughter sitting next to him, he said, "Hey kiddo, whatcha up to?"  
  
"Just doing some light reading, Dad," Daria replied.  
  
"Oh, Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio?" Jake questioned further.  
  
"No, just a little Poe, The Mask of the Red Death specifically," Daria said with a smirk.  
  
"Hmmm, I don't think I've heard of that fairy tale," Jake said with a confused look on his face.  
  
Daria rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's really a classic story, quite similar to Cinderella actually. There's an elegant masquerade in the prince's eccentric palace. Everyone was dancing the night away at the grand party, until the Red Death snuck in and sucked the life out of all the guests."  
  
"Ewwww!" Jake moaned. Daria smirked, that was the last time he'd ask about what she was reading. And she liked it that way. But now she had to find another place that was quiet so she could finish the story. She climbed the stairs up to the room that she and Quinn shared and was glad to notice that it was empty. She sat down on the bed and just as she opened the book, the door came flying open and in came...... Quinn, clumsily trying to do a jeté or leap. She was wearing a pink leotard with a fluffy pink skirt and ballet slippers. She danced into the room, doing pirouettes and adding a little hop or leap as needed.  
  
Daria narrowed her eyes and said, "Quinn, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I'm practicin' for ballet class. My teacher says I hafta practice." Quinn answered, continuing to dance, very ungracefully around the room.  
  
"That's for sure," Daria muttered. "Anyway, you can practice somewhere else," Daria said as she pushed Quinn out the door and into the hallway.  
  
"I don't think so," Quinn said. "It's my room too!"  
  
"Too bad, I was here first reading, and you can just go downstairs," replied Daria.  
  
"Nope! I'm telling! Mooommmmm!" Quinn yelled.  
  
Helen came rushing up the stairs. "What is wrong with you two?"  
  
"Daria won't let me practice my ballet in our room," Quinn said sweetly with feigned disappointment in her eyes.  
  
"Now, I'm not getting involved with your petty little arguments girls. You will have to solve this problem on your own." Helen said, attempting the hands off parenting that was suggested by her counselor. She left the room, hoping for the best.  
  
"Ok," Daria shrugged and began pushing Quinn out of the door again. Quinn began to cry and pushed Daria down on the ground, then they began pulling hair and hitting each other.  
  
"Brain!" Quinn said.  
  
"Brat!" Daria retorted.  
  
"Brain!"  
  
"Brat!"  
  
Helen entered the room and pried the girls apart from each other. This attempt at parenting had failed terribly. "Stop it both of you!" she yelled. "Daria, you're going to hurt Quinn, she's younger than you."  
  
Daria rolled her eyes. "God forbid anything hurt your precious darling. Anyway, she's the same size as me." Daria observed. And she was quite right actually. Although she was about a year and half older than Quinn, she was small for age, so they were about the same size and weight.  
  
Helen didn't want to acknowledge that Daria was right so she continued, "I leave you alone to sort out your problem and you resort to physical violence!"  
  
Daria shrugged. "I hate sharing a room with Quinn," She looked around the room; half of it was covered in pink with a ruffly bed and full of stuffed animals and clothes. The other was plainly colored, full of books, notebooks and a skeleton model stood on the shelf.  
  
Helen sighed. "I understand this. But we don't have enough money to move so you two are going to have to share a room until we do." Helen worked as a struggling lawyer; she was just getting her feet wet and hadn't been very successful as of late. They lived day to day in a tiny house saving every penny and just barely keeping up with paying the bills.  
  
Daria sighed. She understood this, but that didn't make it any easier. Helen continued her parental lecture, "You both are going to have to share this room, so that means Quinn can practice her ballet and Daria can do her reading."  
  
"Told ya so!" Quinn said with a childish sense of satisfaction.  
  
"Whatever," Daria replied. She picked up her book, and walked out of the room. She went into the garage and climbed up the ladder to the attic, which she was sure her parents would greatly disapprove of if they noticed. Daria sighed. Helen had sided with Quinn, again. For as long as she could remember, it had always been that way. Quinn was the younger one, so it was assumed Daria could handle it if she didn't get her way. Daria remembered when Quinn was a toddler and she was about three or four. She hated her little sis and one day had opened the front door for her, which led to concrete stairs. Quinn had toddled over to the door, while Helen looked horrified and rushed to rescue her. She remembered another time when all she wanted to do was run away. She packed her little suitcase with Mickey Mouse on it and announced to her family that she was leaving and never coming back. She went into the garage and sat on the step, trying to figure out where to go. Helen and Jake used the reverse psychology that many parents would use in a situation like this and simply left her alone until she decided to come back inside. She would do this just about every other day or so, and sit out on the steps for hours. This was a time when she most needed to be hugged and told by her parents that she was loved and that they wanted her to stay. Yet they didn't realize this, so they just let her sit out on the steps.  
  
  
"Daria!" A few hours later, Daria woke up, realizing she had fallen asleep in the attic with a book in her hand. She heard her name being called by Helen and decided she would have to return to the insane world with her family before they discovered her hiding place and boarded up the entrance as a safety precaution. She climbed down the rickety ladder and scratched her leg slightly on the way down.  
  
"DARIA!" Helen kept calling. Daria rounded the corner to the living room, dusting off her clothes and hair slightly to hide the evidence of her whereabouts. "DAR- oh, there you are. I just wanted to let you know that Jessica cancelled for tonight, so her sister Naomi will be over instead to baby-sit. Oh yeah, and your father has gone out to get the pizza for your supper."  
  
Daria just scowled, she figured anyone related to Jessica had to be a complete ditz. "Don't remind me," she said.  
  
Ding-dong. The doorbell sounded.   
  
"Oh, that must be Naomi. She's a little early, but that's all right." Helen said. She walked toward the front door and opened it. "Hello Naomi. Come on in."  
  
Naomi walked inside the Morgendorffer's house. She had medium length black hair, glasses, and was wearing a gray sweater and blue jeans with clunky brown boots. Daria was a bit surprised; she certainly looked different from her sister. Jessica had blonde hair that she piled up on top of her head in a high ponytail -a real teeny bopper stuck in the 80's.  
  
Quinn came running from upstairs to greet her favorite babysitter. To her disappointment, Jessica was not there, but there was another girl.   
  
"Girls, I want you to meet Jessica's sister, Naomi. Naomi, this is Daria and Quinn," Helen said.  
  
"Hello children," Naomi said with not a hint of emotion in her voice.  
  
Quinn smiled at her anyway. "Let's go play!" she said, practically dragging Naomi with her into the living room.   
  
"What's up with all these birds crashing into glass windows, you may wonder. Suicidal little birdies tell their side of the story, next on Sick Sad World." blared the t.v. Daria took the remote and switched it off; it was a re-run anyway.  
  
The front door opened and Jake came in with a fresh pizza in hand. "Hot, hot, hot, burning!" he yelled as he threw the pizza down on the table.  
  
Daria went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She took a slice and started eating. Quinn and Naomi came in too, and did the same.  
  
"Bye girls," said Helen. "We're leaving now."  
  
"Wait!" exclaimed Quinn. "I gotta have a kiss and a hug before you leave!" Daria rolled her eyes and continued eating.  
  
"Ok, you two be good for Naomi. Remember, bedtime is at 8:30 sharp and you can eat anything you find. I've left the number where we will be in case of emergency, and we shouldn't be too late," Helen directed in her on-parent mode.  
  
"Yeah, bye," Jake said as they went out the door.  
  
"We're gonna have lots of fun tonight Naomi," Quinn said. "We can play Barbies, and watch Kid Songs videos, and dance, and listen to the New Kids on the Block!"  
  
"Oh goody," said Naomi sarcastically.  
  
"Can I do your hair now?" Quinn asked bouncing up and down.  
  
"No," said Naomi.  
  
"Why not?" Quinn whined. "Jessica always lets me. Are you sure you two are sisters?"  
  
"Yes, we're sisters, unfortunately for me," Naomi answered.  
  
They went upstairs, and Daria settled down on her bed, took out a little notebook and began writing. Quinn walked over to her side of the room and said, "Hey, do you guys want to play Barbies?"  
  
"Sure," said Daria. Too bad Quinn didn't notice the smirk on her face or glimmer in her eye.  
  
Daria walked over and began searching through the pile of Barbies. "Ok, here's the Swimsuit Modeling Barbie, the Wedding Barbie and Barbie the Ballerina. But where's the executive lawyer Barbie or the medical Barbie?" Daria observed.  
  
"Oh, don't be silly," Quinn said. "Barbie doesn't need to get a job because she has Ken to take care her."  
  
"There's a good message to send young girls. Surrender your independence to a man for the rest of your life and he'll take care of you. Don't get a job, you have to stay home with your children," Daria said sarcastically.  
  
"Exactly," commented Quinn.  
  
Naomi smiled slightly. "I like the way you think, Daria," she observed. "Anyway, you're right. How come you don't have Pet Doctor Barbie? Of course they couldn't call her veterinarian because Barbie couldn't spell or pronounce that...."  
  
"Oh no!" exclaimed Quinn in anguish.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Naomi looking over.  
  
"It's my Malibu Beach Barbie; I can't find her anywhere!" said Quinn, ready to cry. "Can you help me look in the closet?"  
  
Naomi reluctantly agreed, and they began to pull out items from the closet. "There she is!" said Quinn happily. She turned around to go back to the dollhouse, and screamed........  
  
Lying on the floor were a few of Quinn's Barbie dolls with decapitated heads and missing appendages. "You've ruined my Barbies!" Quinn yelled at Daria.  
  
"Oh calm down. You can pop the heads right back on. I was just making this one be a doctor conducting a brain transplant on this one, you know, the Frankenstein approach. And this one was sent to the guillotine to have her head cut off for her infidelity, Marie Antoinette style," Daria explained to an angry Quinn.  
  
Naomi suppressed a laugh as to not cause Quinn to fly into a complete fit, but did roll her eyes and smirk toward Daria. "Here, let me see them. I'll pop the limbs and heads back on for you," Naomi offered. "There, good as new. I think that's enough Barbies for one night. It's just about time for you two to go to bed, so why don't you put some pj's on now."  
  
After they cleaned up the Barbies and tidied up the room a little, Naomi helped Quinn into her bunny nightgown complete with long ears and a fluffy tail. Daria changed into a gray t-shirt and plaid boxer shorts. Quinn picked up a brush and began to brush her long, red hair.   
  
They headed downstairs to search the house for food. They picked out some chips and soda and gathered on the couch to watch some t.v. Soon, the clock read 8:30 so Naomi announced it was time for bed. They trudged upstairs, brushed their teeth, and went into their room to pick out some bedtime stories.  
  
"Hmm, what do you guys want me to read to you?" Naomi asked. Quinn went to her side of the room and picked out The Three Little Pigs and other Mother Goose Fairy Tales.   
  
"Anything but that," groaned Daria.  
  
Naomi scanned Daria's bookshelf and was quite impressed. "Uh, I think I might have something you'd like in here." She pointed to her backpack and pulled out a copy of Kafka's The Metamorphosis.  
  
"Sure," said Daria, trying to hide her excitement though not entirely successful. This was certainly a change from the normal bedtime story ritual revolving around Quinn that she usually witnessed.  
  
"Alright, here we go, As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect......" Naomi began. Daria listened carefully, deeply enthralled. She'd never heard a classic read aloud so fluently before.  
  
Naomi continued on, until she found a decent place to leave off. "Well, did you enjoy that? You can borrow it if you want and finish it"  
  
"Sure, if you don't mind," said Daria.  
  
"No problem," Naomi answered. "I've read it a million times, it's my favorite. If you really like it, I can give you some more of Kafka's work."  
  
"But I don't know how the story ends," Quinn said.  
  
"I'll read it aloud tomorrow if you want," replied Daria. Quinn was surprised by Daria's offer, and Daria was equally surprised by Quinn's interest. Perhaps they weren't as different as they thought.  
  
Quinn and Daria climbed under their covers and Naomi switched off the lights. "Goodnight guys," she replied. She headed downstairs, kicked off her boots and crashed on the couch. Well, this babysitting job hadn't turned out as horribly as she had expected, considering she hated kids and all. She had even become slightly attached to a little girl, Daria, who'd have thought? Daria reminded her of herself when she was younger. She had some sympathy for the kid; she certainly wasn't going to have an easy life. She was different from most kids, and society wasn't going to accept her. Well, she had even managed to get Quinn to appreciate literature. Even if it was only temporary, it was something.   
  
Daria lay awake for a while thinking about Naomi and their night. Surprisingly, she had liked Naomi and looked up to her. She couldn't believe that there were other people in this world who were different from the teeny bopper images she saw everywhere in advertising, commercials and even in her own home. It gave her some hope for the future. She decided if Naomi could survive the world as a loner, then she had a chance too. She smiled to herself and fell asleep with images of giant bugs in her mind.  
  
  
The next day during mid afternoon, Helen began to wonder where her children were. It had gotten very quiet, too quiet. To ease her motherly fears, she decided to go check on them upstairs. She paused outside their door for a minute and could hear only Daria's voice. She peeked in out of curiosity and the sight she saw nearly caused her to faint.  
  
Daria was reading aloud while Quinn sat on the bed with her clutching a teddy bear. Ever since Quinn was born, these two had never gotten along. Words could not express the joy she felt witnessing this scene. A tear fell on her cheek and she brushed it away, placing her hand on her heart. That is so sweet she thought. No matter how hard she tried to pull them together, they always resisted. She finally came to the realization that if they were going to become close, it would have to be on their own terms. Helen sighed with relief, closed the door quietly and left with a feeling of hope.  
  
"....And it was like a confirmation of their new dreams and excellent intentions that at the end of their journey their daughter sprang to her feet first and stretched her young body." And with that, Daria closed the book.  
  
"That was a cool story," remarked Quinn.  
  
Then there was an awkward silence. Spending time together certainly didn't feel natural. Suddenly Quinn hopped off Daria's bed and said quickly,  
  
"ThanksforreadingittomeDaria." She skipped out of the room.   
  
Once she was gone, Daria smirked and said quietly to herself, "No problem." She'd never admit it, but she had enjoyed reading to Quinn. It felt good to be needed. But if anyone asked, she'd maintain her position that Quinn was always a pain in the ass.  
  
Daria walked downstairs and noticed Quinn at the kitchen table with a pad of paper and a pencil, a rare sight indeed. Daria was slightly curious as to what would distract Quinn from her Barbies or kid shows.  
  
"What are you doing, Quinn?" Daria asked.  
  
"I'm writing a letter to Santa, duh!" Quinn remarked mater-of-factly.  
  
"But it's only July. Christmas is five months away," Daria said with annoyance in her voice.  
  
"Gotta start early," Quinn said returning to her list.  
  
Daria rolled her eyes, clearly disappointed at Quinn's regression. "You've got to realize there's no Santa by now. Mom and Dad buy all of our presents."  
  
"You're lying," said Quinn, but she wasn't totally convinced.  
  
"No I'm not," Daria answered seriously.  
  
"Nooooooo!" Quinn threw her letter and ran off sobbing.  
  
Helen sighed; the sisterly bond certainly hadn't lasted long. Oh well, after nearly 7 years of fighting, how could she expect them to just to come together from one moment?  
  
  
In the city of Lawndale, the Lanes were adjusting to their new home. Well, everyone except Trent that is.  
  
"Whadya doing Trent?" Jane asked peering up the ladder at him.  
  
Trent jumped and banged his head on the ceiling of the attic. "Ouch." he grumbled and then answered, "Janie you startled me. I'm just looking for the tent we used to have up here."  
  
"Good luck," muttered Jane. "With all of Mom and Dad's junk up there from the move, you'll never find it."  
  
"You're probably right," Trent sighed.  
  
"If it's not up there, I bet it's in the cellar," Jane remarked.  
  
"Hmm, maybe," answered Trent.  
  
Trent climbed down the ladder. He and Jane headed inside toward the cellar door. They turned on the light and headed down the stairs. Once down, they both began searching with dismal success. Finally Jane called out pointing, "Is that is over there?"  
  
"Sure is," Trent responded. "Wanna help me set it up outside?"  
  
Jane shrugged, "Ok." She grabbed some poles; they walked up the stairs then out to the back yard.  
  
They chose a location and began constructing the tent. Suddenly, Jane blurted out, "Trent, you still haven't told me why we're setting up this tent out here."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna live here for a while. Mom and Dad don't seem to care what I do so long as it's legal. I doubt they'll even notice. Anyway, I need some time alone so I can think," Trent answered.  
  
"Oh," Jane replied. She didn't entirely understand, but that didn't really matter.  
  
They finished constructing the tent and they stood back to admire their handiwork. "Hmm. This tent sure is smaller than I remember," observed Trent.  
  
He shrugged and went inside to collect his possessions. Jane went inside too, but she settled down on a cardboard box. They'd been there a few days, yet her parents hadn't gotten around to unpacking everything. She turned on the t.v. and flipped through some channels then decided there was nothing on worth watching. She headed up to her room to paint for a while.  
  
Jane set up her canvas and began to paint a scene inspired from the snap shot she'd taken of her old room. After she finished, she looked at it a while, and then realized it made her feel sad. She longed for her old room in her childhood house where everything was familiar. Here, everything felt strange and out of place. She sighed. I bet Trent would like this though she thought. Glancing at her clock, she realized it was nearly 8 p.m. I wonder if Trent is hungry, she thought. Well, he always is, so she stopped in the kitchen on her way to construct him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  
  
Balancing the sandwich and painting, Jane carefully made her way outside to pay Trent a visit. "Hey Trent. Can I come in?" she asked.  
  
"Sure Janie," Trent answered unzipping the door.  
  
"Here I painted this for you. Think of it was a housewarming gift," Jane explained with a smirk. "Oh yeah, and I made you a sandwich."  
  
"Cool. How you know I was hungry?" Trent asked.  
  
"Lucky guess," Jane answered.  
  
Jane surveyed the interior of the tent. "Cozy little place you got going on in here," she remarked. "You even brought your guitar. Will you play something for me?"  
  
"Alright," Trent said picking up his guitar. He began to play a random tune. Jane was the only one who really cared about his music or ever wanted to listen. After a few minutes, he glanced over at her and found her asleep. He grinned a little, then carefully laid her down and covered her with a blanket. Watching her sleep so peacefully, for the first time in days since the move, Trent felt everything was going to work out.  
  
  
Daria woke up the next day to the noise of preparations for Quinn's birthday party. She got up and sighed. This was going to be a long day.  
  
Downstairs, Helen was hanging streamers and other decorations around the house. Jake was trying to blow up the balloons. He took one long red one and tried to twist it into an animal. Instead, it popped right in his face.  
  
"God damn it! Those clowns on t.v. make it look so easy!" Jake grumbled with childlike disappointment in his eyes.  
  
"Muh-om," Quinn whined. "The banner is crocked!" Daria sighed; Quinn was probably the only person who could make 'mom' a two-syllable word.  
  
Quinn sat down on the couch next to Daria. "How long till my party starts?" she inquired.  
  
"Two hours, Quinn." Daria answered.  
  
"Oh, ok." Three minutes passed. "How long now?"  
  
Daria picked up a pillow that was next to her and placed it over her head. This was going to be a very, very long day.  
  
  
Ding-dong. Quinn excitedly hopped up from the couch to answer the door. They had just finished decorating the house and everything was perfect for her birthday party. She opened the door and three little girls walked in.  
  
"Hi Samantha, and Stephanie and Tracy." Quinn greeted her first guests to arrive.  
  
"Why is there a clown here?" asked Samantha in a snobby voice. If anyone could make Quinn feel insecure about herself, it was certainly Samantha.   
  
"Yeeeaaahhhhh. That is sooo wrooonnng." Tracey seconded.  
  
"Oh," said Quinn carefully. "That's just to keep the younger children busy."  
  
"If you say so," said Samantha.  
  
Daria was seated at the kitchen table moping. The rest of the guests were in the living room, but she was keeping a low profile in the kitchen. She was soon spotted though, as Jake entered the room.  
  
"How come your not out there with the rest of the children at the party?" Jake inquired. "It's a whole lotta fun!"  
  
"But I don't like fun," answered Daria in a flat tone.  
  
"Oh, come on, let's turn that frown, upside down!" He said in a sing-songy voice.  
  
"Let's not," replied Daria.  
  
"Oh, I know just the thing to cheer you up, Daria," said Jake. He picked up a cone shaped party hat with polka dots on it and quickly thrust it onto Daria's head. "There, that's better."  
  
Daria just scowled. After he left the kitchen, she snatched the hat off and pulled back the string. Aiming toward the trashcan, she let it go. Score. It landed directly where she aimed.  
  
Ding-dong. A few more guests had arrived. Quinn opened the door and three little boys walked in.  
  
"Denis, Derek, Daniel, come on in," Quinn said.  
  
"Um, actually it's David. But you can call me Daniel if you want, Quinn." answered David sheepishly.  
  
"Can I get you a drink?"  
  
"Need some ice?"  
  
"What about a straw?" The three boys chatted all at once.  
  
"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Quinn said, feigning modesty. She paused a moment. "Actually, go ahead."  
  
"Where's the birthday girl?" asked Helen, saccharine tone and all.  
  
"Right here! Can we have cake now?!" asked Quinn.  
  
"Sure. Let's all gather round, turn off the lights....."  
  
Daria could be found in the other side of the room, trying to read. I wish they'd turn the lights back on she thought impatiently, I can't see a thing.  
  
After the children finished the cake, Helen announced that it was time for Quinn to open her presents. All the children gathered in a circle with Quinn in the center.  
  
"Open mine first! No mine! Wait, mine!" remarked the three D's chatting all at once.  
  
Quinn did so, and then Samantha pushed three presents toward her and said, "Here, these are from Stephanie, Tracy and I, respectively."  
  
Quinn opened them. "Sun bathing Barbie. Ballerina Barbie. Cosmopolitan Barbie. Thanks guys!"  
  
"Hey Quinn. I think you got gypped. What happened to liposuction Barbie or Pregnant Teenager Barbie or- "  
  
"Really, Daria that's....." Helen began, but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. "What?! Well can't it wait, oh of course, I'll be right there!" Helen yelled into the receiver. "I'm sorry Quinn, but my client reconsidered so I'm going to have miss some of your party."  
  
"But Mom....." Quinn whined.  
  
"I have to go. Jake, you're in charge. Bye everyone. Be back soon!" Helen said, pushing open the door.  
  
"But I can't.... Helen...." Jake pleaded, but it was too late, she was already gone. "What are you all looking at?" he said shrinking in his chair.  
  
Daria smirked. Now this was starting to get interesting. Daria gathered up a couple kids and whispered, "Come on, let's get the clown."  
  
They pulled his wig over his eyes and threw handfuls of chips at him. This instigated a riot among the other children and a full-fledged food fight began. Within minutes the house was a mess and then within a few more, the children became bored. Jake sent them all outside to play and wait for their parents to pick them up. After all the children had left, Jake stared around the living room and said, "Helen is gonna kill me! It's her fault, she shouldn't have left me in charge..." he continued grumbling.  
  
Just then, the old Morgendorffer vehicle pulled into the driveway and a very unusually happy Helen walked into the house. She took one look at the living room and muttered, "My god Jake, can't you take control of a situation for one damn minute while I'm gone...."  
  
"But there was so many of them! And they were all looking at me....." Jake whined.  
  
"We'll discuss this later. Anyway, I have some excellent news! The deal worked out, so that means we get a huge settlement, which in turn means we can move out of this dreadful city!" Helen said excitedly.  
  
"That's great honey!" Jake replied, very relieved she wasn't going to dwell on his mistake.  
  
  
About a month later, Daria took one last look at her room. It sure looked different without any of her belongings in it. They were moving to a new city, Highland if she remembered correctly. Daria wasn't fond of changes, but she had no real roots in this city so it didn't bother her too much to move. The only thing she would miss was her hiding place in the attic. Last week she had taken out all the books from there, dusted them off and place them in a box. She hoped there would a safe haven for her in their new house. She hopped into the rusty car with her family and as they drove away, her mind filled with bittersweet memories.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
Daria and all affiliated characters are not mine, they belong to MTV, yadda, yadda, yadda. This is a work of fiction based on speculation and various Daria episodes. Don't bother suing me; I'm only 15 and have nothing that could possibly satisfy you.  
  
Notes on the fan fic:  
This is my first work of Daria fan fiction and I'd really like to know what you thought of it. Please send comments, questions or suggestions to me at: jenc_84@yahoo.com. Anyone is free to post this story on their website as long as it is in its original form and no money is being made from it.  
  
I was inspired to write this story while watching the childhood flashbacks in "Pinch Sitter." I decided that not much is known about Daria's childhood, so I thought it would be interesting to speculate what it might have been like. The scene in which Daria is pinning Quinn to the floor and they're yelling 'brat' and 'brain' back in forth is from the MTV episode, "Pinch Sitter." I was curious as too what might have caused this argument, and remembered that in "The Teachings of Don Jake" Quinn and Daria remember how they had to share a room as children. The scene in which Daria remembers opening the door for a toddler sized Quinn comes from one of The Daria Diaries. I've tried to keep it according to the show as much as possible; however some inconsistencies can be found.  
  
In my story, the year is about the early 90's, Quinn is turning 7 and Daria is 8. The town of Newport is fictional. Of course I realize that there are cities named Newport in various parts of the United States such as Oregon, Vermont or Rhode Island, but this location is none of the above. It's just meant to be a fairly quiet suburban area that could exist anywhere. I decided not to have it set in Highland because I was never a fan of Beavis and Butthead and do not know enough about this setting. As you may have noticed, Quinn's friends, Samantha, Stephanie and Tracey were symbolic of the members of the fashion club, Sandi, Stacy and Tiffany respectively. Obviously, the three D's are representative of Quinn's admirers, the three J's of Lawndale. Although the story was written to focus on the childhood of Daria, the scene involving the Lanes and some other citizens of Lawndale is just a speculation aimed at making a connection to something familiar. The idea about Trent moving into the tent comes from the episode "Lane Miserables"   
  
Thanks to Bob Marley for the title suggestion as well as Darnaud, Steven Galloway, Tabbycat, Renfield, Robert Nowall and Neo Hippy Purple for beta reading and for their encouragement.   
  
Well, that's about it folks. Hope you enjoyed my story and don't forget to send those comments to me at: jenc_84@yahoo.com Later.  



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